Sunday's Plate

Lots of people ask me about our famous cookie recipe. Lots of people ask for it. It all began with a friend of mine who made wonderful cookies when I was a child. She was one of twelve children, a Sioux Indian, a trench nurse in WWII and a real influence on my youth. She was my neighbor and the mother of my oldest friend. Parky never did anything hard - so she said, and one of the easy delights of her kitchen were these cookies "ones and twos," she would say. One cup of this, two cups of that - easy to remember. She'd make cookies at the drop of a hat. There were always cookies in her cookie jar which was in the same place for nearly forty years.

Today, I remember Parky by using her recipe. In case you haven't noticed, this Garden School cookie recipe is now posted in the right hand column of this blog. I should begin to refer to this snack as a "Parky."

One of the things I've tried to do over the years with this cookie is to make it different ways. Lately, I've nixed the chocolate, and added two hands full of coconut. The kids love these chewy bars or cookies. Miss Amy is not a coconut fan, as many people profess, and even she thinks the cookies are good.

Last weekend, I used the recipe to make vegan cookies. I subbed the butter and eggs for vegan butter and egg re placer - same good cookie. At home, I've gone to different flours. I've made these cookies with a combination soy, brown rice, chickpea, potato, and bean flours. And although they are a bit different, they are the same good cookie.

Cookies are a wonderful thing. They should be desirable, delicious, definitely a first choose, and more than anything, a full scale healthy treat. There is not a single thing in these cookies that is a "NO." When you cut the sugar back like I do, they have less sugar than cold cereal, store bought yogurt, and any cookie of the shelf, and most crackers. They have less sugar than bagels, white bread and a lot of foods we take for granted as being "healthy."

I find it interesting that changing butter, egg, and flour does not detract from this recipe.